


Beats Per Minute

by nickyz



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bartender Jounouchi Katsuya, Clubbing, DJ Mutou Yuugi, Drinking, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Shenanigans, First Meetings, M/M, Mutual Pining, absolutely hopeless atem, marik has DID and yami marik is his alter, yuugi and atem don't know each other yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:42:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28747131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickyz/pseuds/nickyz
Summary: atem is dragged out to a nightclub by his cousin malik, and doesn't have nearly as bad of a time as he's expecting once he meets his very hot double.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 32





	Beats Per Minute

"I don't know how you've dragged me into this," Atem complained, allowing Malik to apply makeup to his face at the other's very enthusiastic request. That was not what Atem was referring to, however.

"Marik lets me pick a place to go every other week and this time it would be no fun going alone!" Malik explained to Atem, but Atem was already well aware of this fact. The two of them managed to get along well enough anyways, so it wouldn't be unenjoyable… Atem just hated crowds with a passion. And noise, _Ra_ he couldn’t handle noise.

"So a club is the best you could think of?" Atem couldn't raise an eyebrow because Malik was in the middle of drawing on their family's signature fancy extra eyeliner wing, he would have a fit if Atem messed him up. "Why not go somewhere _normal_?"

"Does anything about me scream _normal,_ dear cousin?" Malik deadpanned, giving Atem a levelled stare. Atem rolled his eyes, the only thing he could do with his face trapped in Malik's hands. "That's what I thought."

"Are you almost done? It's getting dark," Atem could see out the window in his peripheral vision, and even though he didn't have his glasses on, he could see enough through the blurriness to notice the darkening sky. 

"Nighttime is when clubs open, stupid," Malik flicked him in the forehead. "But yeah, you're all good." 

Atem grabbed the small hand mirror next to them and observed himself. Dark red sparkly eyeshadow, deep black eyeliner and mascara, the smallest bit of work done to his eyebrows and a pinch of foundation… Malik went all out. He didn’t usually appreciate himself, but he looked pretty good. "Wow."

"Now we look like a total pair!" Malik pointed to his own face, which was similarly done, but with purple eyeshadow and lipstick. Atem raised an eyebrow at that. "What?"

"Lipstick?"

"Fuck yeah! It makes me look sexy," Malik made a kissing motion at Atem, and he recoiled with a noise of mixed complaint and disgust. Malik laughed in his strange, almost evil-sounding way, very different from his host, who was a much shyer man. 

"Trying to find a date?" Atem grumbled as he got up and searched under his bed for his heeled boots with spikes all over them. He had yet to wear them out of the house since purchasing them, because they weren't exactly appropriate for a museum job, but tonight… why not? 

Malik waved his hand in a dismissive motion. "One night stands aren't my thing. If I _do_ find a cutie, though, I'll definitely snag their number." He stuck his tongue out, his piercing glinting in the light of the room. _The one he got without permission and almost gave Marik a heart attack,_ Atem recalled with a grin that was not in his control. 

He himself kept things simple and only had a few piercings in his ears, as well as one through his belly button that had actually been a drunk game night dare from Ishizu. How a girl like that picked something so extreme was beyond any of them, but it didn’t look too bad so it didn’t bother him. He was showing it off tonight, with a gray partially see-through shirt barely concealing what was underneath. He of course remained 'decent' by having a solid black crop top underneath, but it was definitely more daring than anything he usually wore. 

The long sleeves of the shirt swirled a bit annoyingly around his hands as he tried to pick things up, but he was already used to his bracelets getting in the way on occasion. As he bent over to reach further beneath the bed when he spotted the boots buried under a pile of boxes, he heard Malik whistle. He jumped up on instinct and smacked his head on the frame. " _Malik!_ " 

Malik's signature laugh filled the room, and Atem dragged out the shoes as fast as he could, immediately storming out in loud stomps. "Aw, c'mon!" He heard his cousin call to him, "I was joking!"

Atem knew that, but he wouldn't give Malik any encouragement. Getting the over the top boots on proved harder than Atem thought, most of the buckles being incredibly stiff because of the lack of use. Even with his strength he struggled to clip some of them, and by the time he was onto the second shoe, he had an audience consisting of Malik and Ishizu. She had been invited as well, and _agreed-_ once again another thing no one thought she'd do. 

"Those are quite… eccentric," Ishizu complimented him awkwardly. Atem grunted in reply, slapping a buckle to get it to click. "Are we all ready to go? I have turned the car on already," the faint humming of the motor could indeed be heard outside. With great effort, Atem secured his shoes and then stood up, wobbling for just a second as he settled into balancing himself. 

"How are you gonna dance in those things?" Malik jabbed, as if he wasn't wearing high heels that he clearly stole out of the back of Ishizu's closet. 

"I don't _dance,_ Malik," Atem sashayed past him and out the door. He was fully prepared for the night, you didn't need much to go clubbing except revealing clothes and a wallet full of money. It hurt him to know he would be spending so much, but damn it he never went out like this so he _would_ have a good time! He had nothing better to spend his money on anyways.

"Such a downer," Malik shook his head sadly, following in Atem's trail and piling in the car. Both of them sat uncomfortably in the back because as it turns out, Rishid was already waiting in the front passenger seat. Yet another surprise in a night sure to be full of them.

* * *

" _Malik Ishtar_."

"Yes, my _dear_ cousin?" Malik sing-songed, leaning over Atem's shoulder because he was the shortest of the family and Malik was the second tallest.

"What the _fuck_ is this?" Atem gestured to the possibly mile-long line in front of them, barely moving. They'd be standing out here all night at this rate! It was getting cold, and Atem didn't bring a jacket. His loose silk shirt wasn't doing him _any_ favors when it came to keeping warm. He crossed his arms and hugged himself, rubbing his shoulders. 

Malik placed a hand on his. "My poor, idiotic little cousin. _Watch_ and _learn_ ," He winked and then sprinted- _in heels-_ to the front of the line, his dumb fur coat billowing behind him like a cape. The three of them who remained at the back nearly lost sight of him, his form just visible in the distance speaking to the gruff guard at the door. A few times, he would point to what must be them, and the man would nod. Atem was starting to feel weird about it, and from the way Ishizu stared at the ground, she did too. Rishid showed nothing on his face, but that was typical of him.   
  
In a matter of minutes, Malik was waving them over wildly, and Atem had to do his very best not to trip on the rough pavement and break his ankles. "You're not gonna believe this, but Marik- and by extension _me-_ knows the guy who owns this place! Big CEO of some company, annoying capitalist, you know the type." 

"I really don't," Atem wheezed, doubled over with his hands on his knees. His chest heaved as he fought for breath, as he was not a fit person- he just _looked_ fit. Which was nice sometimes. He felt the stares some women gave him at the receptionist desk, too bad he was gay.

"Meh, doesn't matter," Malik grabbed his hand and tugged on it. "Let's go inside!" 

Getting dragged stumbling into some of the most bone-rattling music he'd ever heard wasn't how Atem pictured the start to his night going. Neon lights illuminated the area all around them, bathing him in pinks and blues. Almost none of his normal hair color was fully visible, which kind of blew because he put a lot of effort into it, but that was fine. 

The noise, however… he had to cover his ears for a moment and shut his eyes. _Relax. Relax. Do_ not _have a breakdown in the middle of this place,_ he mentally berated himself, even though he knew it was something out of his control. Malik was off into the crowd in an instant, leaving Atem with Ishizu and Rishid.

"Atem," a delicate hand found his shoulder and shook him a bit. "Why don't you go to the bar? A drink may help ease things," Ishizu said empathetically, and Atem nodded, forever grateful for her kindness and wisdom. She helped him get there, even helped sit him down _and_ order the drink. The volume level was lower near the bar area, which was very nice and Atem appreciated it. "Would you like me to stay with you for a few minutes?" She leaned on the counter beside him so she could meet his eyes. 

Atem shook his head. "No, go have a good time. I'll be alright," he encouraged her with a little shove. Doubtful yet trusting all at the same time, she gave him one last smile before disappearing into the crowd of scantily-dressed bodies. Probably off to find Rishid, she wasn't the type to go searching for a date either… 

His drink arrived swiftly, and the bartender asked for no payment, so Ishizu must have covered that, too. _She is far too good for this world,_ Atem sighed, pulling the glass towards him and taking a sip. He liked fancier stuff, but this first drink was clearly just to get him a light buzz as quickly as possible. 

As he took a sip, he noticed the bartender was staring at him very intently. It was hard to tell what he would look like without all the neon lighting, but he had medium-tone hair, and freckled cheeks. His eyes were dark, maybe brown or green. Atem set his glass down, and the man took that as his cue to jump on what was bothering him so much.

"Hey, what's your name?" He asked, leaning over the counter and _really_ giving Atem a once-over. Atem swallowed tightly, feeling embarrassed.

"A...Atem?" He answered, confused. 

"Well, it's nice to meetcha," He backed out of Atem's personal bubble, and Atem sighed in relief. "Sorry for staring, but you look just like my pal!" 

That got Atem's attention. "Is he here tonight?" The chances were low, this guy was just working, not hanging out for fun, so why would his friends be here? 

"Yeah!" The bartender pointed towards the front of the venue, where Atem could make out someone very enthusiastically working the DJ booth. "He's gonna be up there in a few! Super talented, I'm kinda jealous," he grinned, showing and vocalizing absolutely no ire to match his words. They must be really good friends.

"I suppose I'll check out the performance, then," Atem grabbed his drink and started chugging. If he was going through that crowd, then he _needed_ that alcohol in his system. The man behind the bar watched him in awe, but not in a rude way. Once he finished it off, he slammed the glass down, and jumped off his stool. The bartender laughed.

"Just as short, too!" He slapped himself in the forehead like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Anyways, good luck out there! If all else fails, talk about games or somethin'!" 

Atem didn't know what that advice was for, so he chose to just ignore it. This place was surely full of weirdos or people that were under the influence of much more than just alcohol. He kept that in mind and also a hand on his pocketed wallet as he paved his way through the ocean of moving bodies, cringing each time he got bumped into or felt a splash of liquid from somebody's drink. Thankfully, he could feel the buzz starting to cloud his mind a bit, so he wasn't freaking out anymore. 

Up close to the stage was worse, the dancing was borderline violent, so Atem made sure to stay off to the side. He still got a good view, but he wasn't at risk of breaking a rib if someone knocked him over. There was a small group gathered nearby, likely having the same idea as him. When they saw him enter the area, one of them glanced at him a few times, and spoke rapidly to the others around them. After they got a response, a positive one judging by the nods he saw, they made a beeline for him. _Oh, no, not again…_

"Yuugi-kun!" The person- a woman, Atem realized- called out. Atem pointedly didn't answer, so that by the time she got closer, she realized her mistake. She held a hand up to her mouth in surprise, her… blue? Eyes looking him up and down like the bartender. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry!” She gasped, “You just look so much like someone I know." She apologized sincerely with a partial bow, making her ponytail fall over her shoulders. 

Atem was interested rather than offended. "Do you happen to know the man tending the bar?" He asked, already knowing what the answer would probably be. This was too much of a coincidence to be _just_ a coincidence. 

"Yeah…?" She answered hesitantly. "Oh gosh, did _he_ mistake you for our friend too? I'm really sorry about that," She was flushing from embarrassment now, and her tiny group of friends had stopped talking to see what was going on. Seems they had no qualms about eavesdropping.

"It's quite alright, miss. I'm actually up here to see him perform. It's not every day someone claims you look like someone else when you have…" Atem gestured to his entire head of hair. The girl nodded in understanding. 

"Whoa! Is that Yuugi-kun's doppelgänger you're talking to?!" A male behind her sporting the most ridiculous face of makeup and spiky black hair interrupted their conversation, pushing her out of the way. 

"Now I'm even more antsy to see him," Atem joked, his eyes watching the stage. The song sounded like it was coming to a close, and he could see the sparkly curtain moving slightly like there was rapid movement behind it. This so-called Yuugi must be getting ready for his turn, and Atem was legitimately becoming excited. 

"Chat him up when he's done, too! He'd be totally stoked to meet you," The man spoke again, and the girl nodded in agreement. The rest of the group was gathered behind him, but none of them said a word to Atem. One of them with hair that must be white _did_ give him a weird look that made Atem feel off, but he could just be imagining things. "We gotta head back to our spot now, he's expecting to see us there, but you're free to join!" 

"I think I'll keep up the element of surprise, but thank you for the offer," Atem dipped his head, and he was shot two thumbs-up as the group went back to what it was doing before he showed up. He was painfully curious now, and as the song ended a minute or so later his heart leapt into his throat. Yuugi should be coming on now, right? Would he _really_ look just like Atem? 

Without warning, a young yet tall man with long, wild hair jogged out onto the stage, snagged the mic, and shouted into it. "Everyone give a _big_ round of applause for _Dinosaur Ryuzaki_ !" He threw his hands up, and the DJ bowed deeply, a smug expression on his face. The crowd exploded into cheering and whooping, and Atem could even hear drinks splashing onto the floor. _That must be the name of this performer._ "Now, for our final star of the night," The announcer said and then waited for the crowd to quiet to continue. "We have the _King of Games_ himself!"

If Atem thought the reaction to the previous performance was crazy, _this_ one was absolutely _ballistic._ People were bordering on _crying_ as the man on the mic put it down and scampered away backstage with _Dinosaur Ryuzaki,_ and the energy was seeping into Atem's pores. It was infectious, it was like being shot up with some wild illegal substance. Not that he _knew_ what that felt like, but Malik was into some hard shit for a while, so he had second-hand knowledge.   
  
He was bouncing on his feet, as dangerous as that was with these heels, as he waited for the _King of Games_ to appear. It didn't take as long as his mind perceived it to be. He saw the small frame of a man around his age skip onto the stage, and his heart skipped _several_ beats. Yuugi, the _King of Games,_ whatever you opted to call him, also wasted no time in getting the music started. The second he was at those turntables and had his headphones on, the beat started. It vibrated up through the soles of Atem's shoes to the very tips of his hair, shaking him from the inside out. He shivered hard.

First things first, Yuugi _did_ look almost exactly like him. He had a far paler complexion, softer eyes, and less muscle, but the rest was a near perfect match. It was uncanny, _and_ strangely attractive. _Didn't I tease Malik for trying to find a hookup? Look at me now, Ra help me._ He adjusted his glasses in disbelief, and also in a vain hope to be able to see Yuugi better. The stage had smoke machines, and it was slightly obscuring his view. 

The small group of friends off to his side were cheering and dancing, and occasionally he'd spot Yuugi glance at them with a smile and sweat dripping down his face. He even looked towards the bar a couple times, even though there was no way he could see his friend working there. Perhaps he knew his friend could see him doing it?

Atem didn't dance, but he did bob his head and sway just a bit, the music being far stronger than his willpower. It also felt rude not to do _something_ , even if it was likely that he was lost in the crowd from Yuugi's point of view. 

Waiting out the entire performance for a chance to talk _sucked,_ but it wasn't anywhere near impossible. Atem was a patient man by nature. He could handle this. 

* * *

Atem most certainly, one hundred percent, could _not_ _handle this._ About an hour into the show he couldn't take standing there and watching Yuugi any longer, he was getting too focused on small, captivating details- like Yuugi's perfect winged eyeliner and revealing shirt and _very low cut skin-tight pants._ He especially liked when Yuugi would jump and dance to get the people on the dance floor hyped up, making all his chains and other accessories bounce around as well. Even now the memory made him sweat, and he hoped that when he hobbled his way back to the bar flushed and obviously distracted, the bartender didn't judge him for it. He plopped down onto the stool in the most _I’m miserable_ way he could muster. The bar was deserted aside from him now, any previous patrons having moved to go dance.

The bartender sensed his struggle. "Hey man, you want a drink? You look like you need it," he asked Atem while furiously wiping a spot on the counter. Atem silently nodded and slid some money to him, assuming he would just make the same drink as before. Again, not Atem's favorite by taste, but he really, really needed to get drunk. "Got it, bud."

"Could you tell me some things about your friend?" Atem asked, crossing his arms on the table and dropping his head. It was bad manners, and unsanitary, but fuck he had it _bad_ right now.

The bartender gave him a humorous look. "Why don't you ask him yourself, hotshot?" He teased, dumping some ice in a cup and pouring Atem's drink. He did each motion with practiced grace that didn't quite match his rugged, jock-like appearance. 

"He's a little occupied at the moment," Atem pointed out, making the other laugh as he set down Atem's drink and sent it sliding across the counter. Atem caught it and sucked down half of it in a matter of seconds. 

"He'll be done eventually. My name's Katsuya Jonouchi, by the way. Nice to meet you." He poured himself a little shot of whiskey and downed it in a gulp. He’d seen bartenders drink on the job before, so it wasn’t really shocking or anything. He just wondered why this ‘Jonouchi’ was doing it with him, as if they were friends. 

"Do you say that to every customer you have, or just me?" Atem huffed, swirling his drink unhappily. Every second he wasn't talking to Yuugi was a second wasted in his life. 

Jonouchi laughed heartily. "Depends on if I like 'em or not! You're a cool guy, so you get the privilege of knowing my name." 

Well, Atem might as well return the favor. He’d told Jonouchi his first name earlier, but didn’t give a proper introduction. "I'm Atem Ishtar. Nice to meet you as well," He took another long sip, tilting the glass so far back that ice bumped on his lips.

Jonouchi tapped his fingers on the table, rag now slung over his shoulder. "Ishtar… now _where_ have I heard that name before?" 

"We own and operate a museum in this city," Atem offered helpfully, and Jonouchi snapped his fingers. 

"Yeah! Domino Museum! Yuugi-kun loves that place, he's pretty into history," Jonouchi refilled Atem's drink near seconds after he finished the last drop, having figured out his desire to get out of his mind wasted. Atem didn't notice, because he was far too busy reeling from the fact that Yuugi was _into his line of work._

"Well, how about that," Atem forced out, his whole body feeling like a slingshot pulled back too tightly. Jonouchi looked at him sympathetically and pushed his drink closer. 

* * *

Four drinks later, Atem was blissfully laying his cheek on the counter, a pleasant fog over his mind. He wasn't completely inebriated, but he was far from sober, which is just the way he liked it. Jonouchi was snickering above him, but as a bartender it wasn't an uncommon sight. "Feel any better, Atem-san?" 

"Definitely," Atem hummed, tracing a finger around the rim of his glass. It was half full still, but he didn't want any more right now. He swung his legs back and forth happily, all nervousness about speaking to Yuugi erased along with _many_ of his inhibitions. Hopefully he wouldn’t do something he regretted.

"Good! Now watch out behind you," Jonouchi winked and walked to the back of the bar, pulling some bottles from the shelf and seemingly preparing a drink that no one had asked for yet. _Watch out behind me? Why?_ In his drunken state, he struggled to operate his neck correctly to take a look.

"Jonouchi-kun!" A light voice shouted into the bar, and pale fingers pulled out a stool nearby Atem. Atem spared a glance up from his comfy spot, and… oh no. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh _no._

"Yuugi-kun!" Jonouchi tossed his shaker through the air and caught it right in front of Yuugi. He cracked it open and poured Yuugi's drink, which smelled like it was on the sweeter side. _Does he have my damn_ drink _preference, too?!_ "Amazing performance, buddy! Very invigorating.” He waggled his eyebrows. 

"Aw, thanks," Yuugi said shyly, taking his drink and sipping through the provided straw. Jonouchi was not-so-subtly glancing at Atem now, so it was only a matter of time before Yuugi looked his way and noticed his pathetic form slung over the table. Atem heard him gasp, and watched him wave Jonouchi closer to whisper in his ear. Whatever he said earned him a nod and a smirk, which _terrified_ Atem.

All too quickly, Yuugi was up and moving to the stool directly next to him, and _oh no_ he was going to start _talking-_

"Hello! I see you've met my friend already… sorry about the misunderstanding, _haha,_ " Yuugi ran a hand through his spiked hair, so very much like Atem’s own. Atem sat up faster than he ever had in his life, coming face to face with the man that had been haunting him all night like some kind of incubus. Yuugi was still a bit sweaty, and it glistened on his skin like glitter. He had a jacket draped over his shoulders as well, reminding Atem of Malik's fur coat. 

"Oh, it's alright." Atem said dumbly, glad for his buzz, because without it he'd be crying in a corner. "I heard your name is Yuugi? I'm Atem Ishtar, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." 

" _Yyyep_ ! That's me, Yuugi Mutou. Though, my stage name is the _King of Games,_ as I'm sure you heard earlier…" Yuugi was embarrassed about boasting, Atem could tell. It was _earned,_ though, he had every right to brag about who he was and what he did. It was all _amazing_. Atem was just a simple museum worker, he couldn’t dream of comparing to the radiance of Yuugi.

"Yes, your performance was great! I met some of your other friends before you came out. They are all very kind people." 

"Ahh… I bet they thought you were me, too," Yuugi laughed self-consciously.

Atem thought it was cute, but he also didn’t want Yuugi feeling bad. "Yes, but I didn't mind. I've been rather excited to meet you, to see if it was true." 

Something in Yuugi's eyes changed at that, a playfulness ignited in them that wasn’t there before. Atem felt like his skin was on fire. "Do I live up to expectations?" He asked slyly, leaning his head on one hand. Was he _flirting_ with Atem? _Well well well, don't_ mind _if I do…_

"You exceed them," Atem replied just as suavely. He was not experienced in the dating scene, but the alcohol was making him brave, and also very stupid. 

"Is that so?" Yuugi hummed, tracing the rim of his glass. His nails were painted black, similar to Atem's, and the fact they were trimmed made him blush. His own weren't because he didn't… he hadn’t done anything like that in his life, never _wanted_ to with anyone. Now… if it was with the man currently in front of him, he was _very_ interested in that. "You're not so bad on the eyes yourself." 

Yuugi covered his mouth when he laughed, and Atem was like a lovesick teenager all over again, anything this guy did was just… beautiful. He could trip and fall on his face and Atem would still find him enchanting. “Such a charmer,” Yuugi grinned.

“So I’ve been told,” Atem bluffed. He had never flirted once in his goddamn life, forever observing Malik from the sidelines. 

A glass object was slammed down roughly nearby. "Exchange numbers already, dumbasses!" Jonouchi yelled over his shoulder, obviously just pretending to be busy behind the bar. Yuugi shot him a glare and stuck out his tongue, but took his friend’s advice regardless if his next action was anything to go by. He snatched a napkin from the dispenser, pulled a marker out of his pocket that was no doubt for autographs, and wrote down some numbers. Atem watched eagerly.

"Call me sometime, 'kay?" Yuugi handed him the napkin, and Atem looked it over for about a millisecond before putting it safely in his pocket.

"Y-Yeah. Definitely," Atem stuttered and then cursed in his head because _fuck_ he almost got through that whole conversation flawlessly! Damn it all! Yuugi didn’t seem to mind, he just chuckled again, and put the marker back. 

"See you again sometime, Atem-san," Yuugi finished off his drink, said a second goodbye to Jonouchi, and exited the bar area while waving. Atem watched him go with a pang of sadness, but also anticipation- Yuugi _wanted_ to see him again, expected him to call so much that he didn't even ask Atem for _his_ number. His face felt pleasantly warm, and so did his heart. He could feel the dumb smile on his face, but didn’t care enough to wipe it away. 

"Don't disappoint him," Jonouchi warned, suddenly at his side, and Atem couldn't help but laugh.

" _Believe_ me, I wouldn’t even _consider_ it." 

* * *

The ride home was a blur, he didn’t remember how long he sat at the bar before his family retrieved him and told him it was time to go home. Now they were all back in the car, several minutes into their trip home, but Atem felt like it had been maybe ten seconds since he was talking to Jonouchi.

Remembering what he’d been given, he reached into his pocket. The napkin had neat but childish handwriting on it, containing a number and the words _Call me! - Yuugi ♡._ Atem smiled and pulled out his phone, going to input the number and text Yuugi right away.   
"Hey Atem, what's got _you_ so satisfied over there?" Malik's voice was slightly slurred from the drinks he consumed throughout the night, but he was better off then Atem, who had just continued drinking after Yuugi left him alone. 

"Nothin'" Atem grinned even more down at his phone, Yuugi’s reply to him coming in seconds. Just five quick messages in and they were already beginning to set up a time and day to meet in a more normal, less charged setting, and Atem couldn't be happier. 

"Did you find yourself a _date_ ?" Malik teased, but Atem just nodded without really listening or caring, far too invested in seeing what cute kaomoji Yuugi would add at the end of his next message. "Wait- Wait, you _did?!_ Oh my god, tell me about them right _now_!" Malik pounced on him and they started fighting for control over Atem's phone, Atem hissing like a cat and Malik trying to bite his hand. 

"Cut that out before I pull over!" Ishizu demanded from the driver's seat, Rishid asleep at her side. They still didn't stop squabbling, too drunk to want to follow her orders as they usually did. Atem screamed as Malik’s teeth made contact with his skin. "You _guys!_ "

**Author's Note:**

> yes i am still working on the last chapter of my series but the ygo discord people wanted dj yuugi content, so here i am to deliver! this might have another chapter where the story continues, but my series is taking priority now, so don't expect it for a little bit! if you're interested please do say so, it helps the good ol motivation


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